Photographer's Note

I know this photo probably won't win any awards and probably won't be very popular with the majority of the TE crowd - I only say that because Car photo's usually don't get alot of attention on TE. However, its a favorite of mine and I wanted to share it with you - and thats what's most important :)

I'm a huge lover and admirer of cars, and i made it a goal of mine to locate as many cool looking european cars as i possibly could. Especially if they have that flare from the communism era - which i think this little car does.

Walking the streets of all the cities i visited, I made sure to look down into the small alleyways for parked cars - its amazing what you will find!!!!

Here we have a parked tiny car, which i have no idea what type it is, just sitting here with the cracked architecture waiting to be photographed.

The car posed and was very patient with me :)
I think the car was happy he was finally getting some much needed attention!

Hi Craig, You do not this car, hahaha. It looks like Polish Fiat, quite in good state. It was called maluch (small, kid) and was the most popular car on our roads. It was produced in Poland. Such car was a dream for many people, they paid in advanced and then waited for years to get one. I am not sure if everyone did finally. Now you can just go to the saloon and buy one, if you have money, of course. On the wall it is written Polski len - polish linen. We were also proud of it before all Chinese fabrics came. Very nostalgic photo for me. Where you found such place? it is like travel back in time.

Hello Craig,
The image has definitely a lot of character here, Craig. I like how the car nicely stands out against the grey street surroundings, making for a strong contrast and a luminous effect. The textures in the faded, decaying wall come out beautifully, and the cracks in the wall revealing the naked bricks gently echoe the colour of the car. Well done.
Have a nice Sunday.
Christian

I see no reason why this shouldn't be popular. It's a corker of a shot. Really cute in fact. I love the colours, the strong textures of the architecture and of course the star of the show, the little Polish car. It almost looks like an Italian Fiat, but I'm sure it's not. Exxcellent composition, with the yellow thing on the left balancing the car on the right, posing for you. Great shot, I like it alot.

Cheers and happy Saturday...or is it Sunday there yet? Was thinking of you an Tosca about an hour ago as I wolfed down some pancakes with Canadian maple syrup! YUM!

Hello Craig,
I do not care if this photo is going to be popular on TE - it is amazing! I love the idea maybe more beacuse I know this scene so well. Where did you find this small Fiat? Who actually still drives it? :-))) And the old wall is such a nice background for it.
Thanks so much for bringing back the childhood memories.
Regards
Kamila

Hello Craig,
It makes a good subject this little red car, what I call a handbag car! The shot is made all te more interesting by having that beautifully textured wall in the background. The splash of yellow offered by the meter cover is another plus point in my mind. Nicely composed and well realised. Have a good Sunday.

Hello Craig,
fabulous presentation of this old,good "Maluch".Haha the car is a real "legend" in Poland.But I think compared to the cars in Canada or USA it looks more like a toy:)But here on your photo looks really beautful and shining.I like also very much this shabby,devastated house as a background for this proud of Polish motorization:)The juxtaposition is very eye-catching and picturesque.Also your HDR(I hope I´m right) treatment deserves a praise.

Hi Craig,
What a nice shot! I'm sure that all your Polish friends here at TE will react on the post due to the fact we are very familiar with that small Fiat! My parents had that car may years ago and I remember that we were able to travel through the country with a pleasure without any huge problems except the speed - can you imagine how slow such a small car was!:)

Hello Craig
Why shouldn't this be popular? To me it is a very well observed street scene with this car definitively from an other period, only communist eastern Europe could possibly produce this kind of vehicle. Furthermore the contrasting colors of the car and the yellow postal box, or whatever it is, against that grey-brown derelict wall makes for a striking composition. This would definitively be one of my favorites to, had I taken the shot.
have a great sunday
Daniel

Hi Craig!
I love cars too and unfortunately they're not quite welcome around here! However, your picture has a great note with it, which surely makes it more appealing, and excellent quality as well, with special regards to the colors, sharpness, exposure and composition! It was taken recently but it transports us to some years ago!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

Hello Craig,
I love this picture, even more beautiful than the pictures of futuristic buildings. The car and the old facade, are in harmony. TRès nice framing. Bravo.
Have a nice sunday
Best regards
Joël

Hi Craig,
The red car and the yellow plate cover on the wall are nicely balancing each other in this picture. The state of the wall behind is quite interestin, many colours and details but it looks like some repairs are necessary.
Kind regards
Gunnar

Hello Craig,
great capture of this small Fiat. You can imagine to seat 4 person in this car? was so tight, but we travel. I can not imagine have such a smoll car today.Nicely captured with good lighting and dof with nice details. Good to have the windows for scale. Wonderful colors. Well done, tfs.
Have nice Sunday,
Barbara

Hi Craig,
This could be a italian shot, I think there are a lot of cars of this model in Italy. Nice HDR work, I love HDR when it is done this way, to render the best the real scene. I love the POV, the colours and the texture. Not sure anyway I would buy this car lol
Have a nice week,
Olivier

Hello Craig,
Cute car. :-) This photo is appealing, not just because of the car, but because of the way it jumps out against the gray background. The texture of the wall and floor is very nice. I also notice the word "Polski" in the window, which is a nod to the wonderful country you photographed this in. :-) The splash of yellow is another vibrant detail.

This is a wonderful photograph, no doubt all the more appealing due to your expert and always so subtle HDR work which, I suspect, has improved the lighting immeasurably.

The little cute red car stands out superbly against the wonderful crumbling mortar and brickwork on the wall behind it and the yellow hatch in the wall balances the image perfectly.

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

P.S. Never my favourite of motorcars, this is a Fiat 126, an upmarket later version developed from the older, cuter, Fiat 500 and still sporting a dreadful vertical-twin two cylinder rear mounted engine which always sounded like a bag of hammers and struggled with the slightest of hills! And in Britain they rusted like mad. Cute, yes: wonderful motorcars, no.

Hi Craig
It a great find Craig, I love this kind of simple uncluttered that works photographically; the commie-era aged lady, the yellow piece and grittiness of the environ create such a stunning contrast. A happy image indeed to attract viewers in and thanks to attention to detail. Sharpness is second to none, indeed a real charming capture for it looks so timeless, it works in mono too. And your hawk eyes make it work !!, Congrats
Warm regards

I love cars in photos. The most colorful the more I like. this one with this pretty strong red caall our attention. The point of view gives a nice 3D sensation. I like the inclusion of the "G" box on the wall.

Hello Craig,
This is not just a photo of a car, it is a carefully constructed composition with the red and yellow perfectly balaned. The old, decaying wall has lots of interesting textures. A superb image and I think many people will enjoy this.
Kind Regards, Ann

Hard to imagine wedging one's self into that little box of a car, Craig! Reminds me also of the Yugo in its shape and size. I like how you've framed it, showing the alley in its decay as an emphasis on the age and wear on the car itself. the yellow panel makes for a nice counterbalance as well. Great clarity and sharpness throughout. Thanks!

Hi, Craig,
My polis uncle had this car and once I had an experience to sit down inside FIAT... Sad story. )))
I like your idea to make this composition withthe two colour points on the grey wall.
Best wishes,
Serghei

Is this a modern version of the Cinque Cento, I wonder. My Italian Aunt had the original version for several decades. Living in Italy, on Via Bergamo, the car was frequently borrowed by joyriders, and always recovered. Finally, she bought a huge chain and padlock, and with the windows ajar, she passed the chain through the car, and locked the padlock on top. The next morning, she found the chain neatly draped in a spiral on the street, her beloved Cinque Cento had been hijacked again. The Italians, at any level, are artists. I think this photo is a work of art also. The brilliant red offers a strong contrast to the worn walls.

Hi Craig,
lovely presentation of the Little Polish Fiat.
The subtle HDR was very good idea here to emphasize the surfaces. Places like this and cars like this one disappear very fast from Poland so evry time I am there I promise myself to take many photos of it, but I never have time to walk around enough due to numerous meetings with my family.
Great capture, excellent processing,
M

Hope your well?
I come from a family of car lovers - grown up with 4 brothers & dad all fanatics - I took a lot of photo's in Argentina of A Car Rally & saw a cute Fiat? like this one - So nice to look at them in action & hear the sounds of the engines & revs - when I see photo's such as this one it brings memories flooding back.
I love your composition the red car against the old rendered brick wall even the meter box in yellow looks good.
Love it.

Well, I'd say based upon the feedback you've received...this has been a popular shot! I'm going to have to pick your brain on learning HDR, I think you do a great job by not overdoing it and keeping things natural, but rich in color and texture. Speaking of which, the solid red and yellow portions of this image are the perfect offset to the weathered wall with its many color variations and textures. This is another one of those daily life street scenes that I enjoy so much, something not prevalent to every tourist unless you're away from the crowds. This has such a great local aspect to it, nice find and presentation!

Craig, keep those car picture coming! Cars tell you a whole lot about the location! I love this one. Classic angle. Two colors! I love cars too.
Look at that design. So angular, so honest, so cute. I like 70s design most. Straight lines. I like 80s functionality. From the 90s it went downhill, design wise. I hate todays designs. That is because of safety. High bonnets, head and tail lights that have to go from front/ back to the side. I *HATE* modern car designs. At least we are taking pictures of classic designs! We need TREKCAR!

This is the Italian construction, not the Polish one. The name is FIAT 126. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_126 They were made in Poland, under the Italian licence, too, as FIAT 126p. Hence their popularity in Poland. You can still see them in and out of Europe, too. Few years ago I spot such a car in Aswan, Egypt. See: http://tinyurl.com/cg8399u The photograph is ok to me. The contrast between the shabby wall and this funny but obviously well maintained little car is striking. I do not like the gas box (?) and the rain-pipe in the FG though.